Epic Games is making waves in the mobile game development world by expanding its store and offering a helping hand to developers struggling with iOS fees. In a bold move, the company has launched nearly 20 third-party games on its mobile app store, available worldwide on Android and in the European Union on iOS.
The expansion comes with a promise: Epic will temporarily pay the Apple Core Technology Fee (CTF) for participating developers, easing the financial burden of moving outside the App Store. This move is seen as a major step forward in breaking down barriers to cross-platform game development. "Our aim here isn't just to launch a bunch of different stores in different places, but to build a single, cross-platform store in which, within the era of multi-platform games, if you buy a game or digital items in one place, you have the ability to own them everywhere," says Epic CEO Tim Sweeney.
To further sweeten the deal for developers, Epic will offer new free games each month, eventually switching to a weekly schedule. This influx of fresh content is expected to drive engagement and attract more users to the store.
In its quest to promote mobile game development, Epic has been an outspoken critic of the CTF. In a blog post, the company laments that once a developer crosses the 1 million annual download threshold, they are forced to pay the fee every time any of their games are downloaded on iPhones or iPads, regardless of the store used. This "ruinous" fee makes it difficult for alternative stores to gain traction.
To combat this issue, Epic is willing to absorb the cost of using third-party marketplaces for participating developers. For one year, the company will pay these developers' CTF, a 50 euro cent fee levied on every install of an iOS app that uses third-party stores after exceeding 1 million annual downloads.
Epic's move comes as part of its ongoing fight against App Store fees and restrictions. The company hopes the European Union will take action on what it alleges is a violation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which governs digital competition. By covering the CTF, Epic aims to help break down barriers to entry for developers looking to create cross-platform games.
As the mobile game development landscape continues to evolve, Epic's efforts are expected to have a significant impact on the industry. With its commitment to offering a single, cross-platform store and promoting developer freedom, the company is poised to become a major player in shaping the future of mobile gaming.